One of the reasons I like Carson's writing is that he makes very powerful insights. He can be academically-minded at times, but books like this one are a bit more reader-friendly. It's a great read, but not too heady.

This book (a collection of talks he gave at a conference) highlights the cross and resurrection of Jesus. Carson goes into detail about how the cross is both ironic and scandalous from a human perspective, but in reality is the perfect and infallible plan of God.

It's a shame that so many Christian books are written about so many different things and so many of them fail to mention the cross (or at best give it a passing reference). Not every book has to be about the cross, per se, but every truly Christian book should be written from a perspective which holds the death and resurrection of Christ as the most important event in the universe. It shouldn't be something we try to squeeze into our worldview, it should be what defines and determines how we see everything else.

Don't let the title or the date scare you off of this one. Although it was written more than 300 years ago, it is easily readable and full of powerful insight into the nature of sin and what it means to truly repent.

Watson was one of the Puritans, people typically remembered for their externally pious lifestyle. What has been overlooked is the doctrine (or teaching) that drove them to live lives of purity. There is a joy and satisfaction that both supports and motivates them. It's not about following rules as much as submitting to the Lordship of Christ.

Although any Puritan writing would be worth your time, Watson has the distinction of being one of the easiest to read in terms of structure and flow. He is concise in his statements, but they are ripe with truth. He refuses to skirt around the issue of sin and repentance, and this little book will likely leave you with a greater awareness of your sin and of Christ's power to overcome it.

How can two groups (Catholics and Evangelicals) both claim to be Christian yet belief almost completely different things about the nature and practice of their faith?

One problem is that, although Catholics and Evangelicals use a lot of the same words, they often mean entirely different things. Ray Galea (himself a former Catholic) explains that there are some fundamental differences between Catholics and Evangelicals. He is in a position to compare these differences from his personal experience and he honestly does so.

The Catholic faith still remains one of the largest religious classifications on the planet (although, like many other religious groupings, there is probably a giant gap between those who say they are and those who actually practice it). If you are curious about what Catholics believe, or if you are wondering why there is such a divide between two groups that claim the same religion, Galea's book will be a great introduction to the discussion.

Many books have been written on the importance of preaching, but very few have been specifically addressed to the listeners. Since far more people will listen to sermons than ever preach one, it seems like there should be some help on how to listen effectively to them. That's where Ramey comes in, with a book designed to do just that.

He sees listening as a skill that can (and should) be developed over time. Think about it like this: if you hear two sermons a week for ten years, that's more than 1,000 messages! If you are able to listen well to these messages, there should be a discernable effect on your Christian maturity...and it follows that you should be listening more effectively at the end of those ten years than the beginning.

While the major responsibility of preaching lies with the one delivering the message, he can only do so much if people aren't willing to really listen to what the Word says. Simply put, if you listen to sermons, you need to read this book.

Everybody has issues, right? Live long enough, and you'll come face-to-face with any number of anxieties and concerns. But how do we deal with such things when they come? That's where this book offers some useful help.

Powlison takes a closer look at some of the issues that face us in this series of essays and articles, refocusing our approach to them through Scripture (he draws heavily from Ephesians). He deals honestly with our sinful natures, God's total control over the universe, and the way that God deals with our most pressing problem through the work of Christ.

In the end, this book is helpful because it provides some good groundwork for helping us counsel others as they work through the difficulties in their lives--and also gives us the same tools to use in our own troubles as well.

Prayer is often a challenge for Christians. We understand that God tells us to pray; we know that prayer is important; we can discuss it and study it and talk about it--but most of us struggle with actually doing it consistently.

Part of the issue may be the way that we approach prayer. Goldsworthy takes a closer look at what Scripture teaches about prayer and shows how some of our general assumptions might not always be on point.

For instance, he suggests that prayer is not primarily the way that we speak to God but more that it is our response to God speaking to us through the Word and through His Son. This may seem a bit like splitting hairs, but if we come to prayer thinking firstly about what God has done it will prevent us from become self-centered or prideful in our requests.

Goldsworthy also offers some practical information about the practice of prayer, which makes this book even easier to recommend. If you are struggling with prayer, or if you just want to learn more, this is a good place to start.